


In attendance

by Subtle_Shenanigans



Category: Frozen - Fandom, Frozen 2 - Fandom
Genre: Advisor Kai, Family, Fifth Spirit Elsa, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Kai’s like, Mentions of Death, Spoilers for both movies, a little ooc, but I watched em grow up, do not repost to another site, except Anna/christoph of course, i didn’t raise these kids, implied Touch Starvation, implied touch aversion, no bets we die like mem, platonic all around, so yeah I care for them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26593318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subtle_Shenanigans/pseuds/Subtle_Shenanigans
Summary: Kai has worked for the royal family since he was nineteen.
Relationships: Elsa & Anna, Elsa & Kai
Kudos: 15





	In attendance

**Author's Note:**

> Been wanting to write this for awhile now. As much as I dislike Disney as a whole, I did really enjoy Frozen 2.
> 
> Also, if you read through the overall for _The Snow Queen_ it’s wack.
> 
> EDIT: This. . . went in a completely different direction than intended. Whoops.

Kai works in the royal palace, starting when he was nineteen.

A slip of a boy, really. It was actually Gerda - his neighbor growing up, his best friend, his other half - who got a word in for him. She had been working with the kitchen staff two years prior, since she was fifteen.

He doesn’t do much; open doors, carry letters. Little things.

But he’s diligent, and hard working, and when the second princess is born, he’s given more responsibility.

He’s halfway to thirty when he learns about the eldest daughter, Elsa.

He knows something is wrong, when the King and Queen rush off into the night with their children, only to return hours later. Anna is fast asleep, a strip of white in her hair. Elsa is awake, seemingly frozen and biting her lip, unshed tears threatening to fall.

He opens the doors, as he does, asks if they need anything. The king is obviously stressed, but doesn’t snap. Instead he kindly asks Kai to help make up a room for Elsa.

He doesn’t ask. The King doesn’t explain.

The room is made, the girl’s things brought over. At one point while the Queen attends to Anna, the King goes to Elsa.

Kai doesn’t eavesdrop, but he does overhear - no words, but rushed, worried tones. Princess Elsa’s voice thick with crying.

The hall by that room is oddly cold, thereafter.

  
  


Kai is somewhere around thirty, when the King asks him to help make provisions for a voyage.

Kai grips his hands tightly in worry, but gives a half-bow and obeys. Gerda, worry lines deep in her face, only nods when he asks for proper, hearty and lasting food for such a voyage.

He even sees them off; it is stormy gray that day, and the flicker of the ocean’s waves seems unfavorable for sailing.

(He’ll never forget King Agnarr clasping a hand on his shoulder and pulling him in for a swift hug. Queen Iduna following with the same, though she gives a fiercer squeeze and chokes out, “please, look after our girls.”)

They don’t come back.

Kai must be nearing forty when the truth comes out, and Queen Elsa runs away in fear. Princess Anna looks shocked, close to tears, and perhaps. . .

But Kai trusts Anna, and being only a servent, he tends to the people and keeps things smooth until the royal children return.

After all, what more could he do?

(He remembers Iduna’s last words to him. Agnarr’s trust.

He promises when they return he will step up, like he should have done.)

Queen Elsa is back. Princess Anna is revived.

Kai lets out a breath.

It’s not perfect - far from it - but it’s enough.   
  
He tries, though, like he promised. He is more attentive, takes chances to speak his mind more than before. Even, in a passing moment of the halls, when Queen Elsa’s face is blank and drawn, arms clasped and rubbing as though cold, he says:

“You’re not evil.”

She stops completely, hunched as though waiting a blow.

He reels back, tries again. “That is- w-what I mean to say is-“

He takes a deep breath. “It’s not your fault. And. . .you made a mistake and you fixed it. I’m. . .I’m sorry there wasn’t anyone to help you.”

She doesn’t turn towards him, but her voice does peep out. “Anna helped me. And - and Christoph.”

She seems to pause at that, then cautiously look over her shoulder. “And . . .people in the palace. People like you.” She rubs her arms again, looking away. Then starts to leave. “Thank you, Kai.”

He didn’t know she knew his name.

He realizes, a year after the false winter, that Elsa rubbed her arms for comfort, not because she was cold.

Just like Anna tended to pull at the strip of hair that was no longer white.

He grips his hands tightly behind himself. Wishes their parents were still alive.

He finds he quite likes Olaf’s company. Ever since he became the Queen’s Advisor (and who knew how that happened?), he found himself around the little snowman much more often. While strange, and perhaps a tad. . .startling, the little guy was actually pretty silly.

Gerda calls him soft, and, seeing Elsa and Anna laughing together, Olaf dancing at his feet, he doesn’t deny it.

  
He is forty, around the time that the spirits awaken.  
  
He sees the fear that traces Elsa’s face. Shock on Anna’s. By Christoph’s stance he knows that they will undergo a journey.

( _He remembers dreams of a ship sinking in the sea._ )

Elsa takes a moment after their discussion, and takes time to go to Kai. It’s a determined, regal walk.

It reminds him of Iduna.

“Kai, could you do me a favor?” It’s a request, one he already knows his answer to. Elsa was never overly touchy (though he wondered), so he clasps his hands in front of himself, and half-bows his head. “Of course.”

He’s surprises when she grasps his hands, gentle but firm. He meets her gaze, and sees a little girl, isolated alone. But it’s swept away when he sees the determined fire.

She was a ruler. She was Queen.

She bobs their hands up and down, once. It’s a subtle movement. “Grand Pabbie,” she glances over her shoulder towards the rock trolls; the lead one adorned in much more ‘finery’, “has agreed to help look after our people. But, good intentioned as he is, they will need a human leader. I do not know how long it will be, but. . .” She looks down, squeezes her eyes shut and breathes deeply. After a moment, she looks back to him. “I trust you. Will you help look after our people for me?”

And of course, Kai wouldn’t have any other answer but _yes_.

It’s Christoph, surprisingly, who tells him the details.

As confused as he is, he tries to be there for Anna. And he is, but he will never be an advisor for her like he was for Elsa. And perhaps Christoph sees that, or had seen that the previous three years, because he asks Kai if they can talk.

And he explains it all as best as he can. And. . .Kai seems to understand better than Christoph does, at the end of it.

So he waits for Elsa’s visit. Becomes an attendant again, but always offering a listening ear, or the option of his advice if Queen Anna needs it.

(And he is warm, even if he had been cold when they first returned without Elsa. Anna will make a good Queen, she is passionate and caring and has grown into her own, blossoming since the castle doors had opened.

He looks forward to the wedding, and thinks a humble man like Christoph is just the sort of King Arendale needs.

Plus, the idea of Sven being the ringbearer is pleasantly hilarious.)

Olaf, of course, returns with them as well. For as much as Elsa created him, he has always been Anna’s special friend.

The little snowman gives Kai’s hand a pat-pat, here and there. “I miss her too,” he says simply. No other words are needed.

Elsa comes often, after Anna’s coronation. The reason for the wait being that there was much work to do.

The half-frozen horse always brings her, collapsing and melting upon the sea. Kai has seen it a dozen times already, and is still just as startled by it.

(He had also been startled, the first time Elsa visited. Because this. . .this was not the lonely little girl, this was not the strong Queen - this was the Fifth Spirit, something human, yet more, free as wind, fierce as fire, strong as earth, and determined as water.

He had never seen her so happy.

No one could prove he had wiped away tears with the sea so close.)

  
This particular visit is in support of a party Anna was hosting, in hopes of keeping good relations with the neighboring kingdom. Boring stuff, really, although he got to go back in the kitchen and see Gerda roll her eyes. Stuffy dignitaries, it would seem.

As the party winds down, Kai finds Elsa out on her balcony. It overlooks the kingdom, facing the fjord. The other guests steered clear and let her be, so Kai took this opportunity to join her.

She hummed in greeting, without turning. He said nothing, stopping an appropriate distance to her left, and looked out in the direction she was.   
  
It was golden, just before sunset. The waves glittered and glistened gold.

It’s silent for a time. Until gold turns to orange. The sun taps the horizon.

“Thank you, by the way.“ She murmurs, then blows some strand hairs from her face.   
  
“I would have done it whether you asked or not,” he eventually replies. Not just because he has a duty to the Queen, to their people.

Elsa laughs, and even if it’s more delicate than Anna’s, it’s still a soft _snrrk_. “No, I meant,” here she waves her hand around, “. . .everything. For being here for us when our parents died. For helping me. Olaf told me how you’ve been helping Anna.”

He struggles for a reply, because what could he say to that, really? He eventually settles for something. “It. . .wasn’t a big deal.” His hands are in front of him, and he clasps them, tightly. “I wish I could have done more.”

Elsa turns to look at him. “Oh, Kai.” She seems sad, almost. Then, she hesitates briefly before pulling him into a hug.

It’s is nothing like Iduna or Agnarr’s. It’s its own. And-

For once, he hugs back, gently. Elsa murmuring in his ear. “You’ve done so much. You’re a wonderful friend.”

She lets go an they part, and Kai realizes he’s smiling. “Thank you, Elsa.”

“There you are!” And Queen Anna is there, dragging her sister along who just laughs. “They’re finally leaving, so we can do something actually fun!”

“Okay okay,” she glances back to Kai, “why don’t you come?”

Anna lights up. “Good idea! Mattias is gonna play as well, this way we’ll have even players.”

“If you’re sure. . .”

And Kai is dragged away, delighted, amongst happy laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus scene that was the whole idea for this actually:
> 
> Elsa: You know, I felt cold for the first time
> 
> Kai: really?
> 
> Elsa: yeah I froze for awhile. Cold is . . .really sharp. Glad I can’t get cold anymore 
> 
> *after a beat*
> 
> Kai: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FROZE ARE YOU OKAY


End file.
